Hunter’s Casual Crusades: Cheeburger Cheeburger (Holmdel, NJ)

There aren’t many things in life more pure than witnessing your alma mater’s sports team competing against local enemies. You get lost in a wave of fellow students that bond together in an adrenaline rush. Even those who would never bother participating in something as simple as gym class are losing their voice in an effort to cheer their team to sweet victory. And guess what? Your team won! You need to do something with this built up energy—it’s a necessity to celebrate! That’s where my absolute favorite part of the night comes in: the post-game chow-down. In high school, this hot spot we would swarm to was none other than Cheeburger Cheeburger in Holmdel. The walls are covered in photos of excited customers, usually posing with a humongous stuffed burger. This meant you had conquered Cheeburger’s spotlighted beast, the iconic “Famous Pounder.” As the name suggests, it’s a monster patty booked at a one pound cook weight, and that’s without the bun and toppings. This eatery lets off a homey vibe, making this the ultimate place for a group of friends to hangout.

My hockey-playing pal Nick picked me up from work with an empty stomach and hungry eyes. Throwing the classic Cheeburger name out there, my head immediately shot back with that soothing “Oooh” sensation. It had been years for both of us since we last tackled the juicy joint. Work and those little things called responsibilities have kept us from flocking to the fan favorite. Today was the day I returned to the home of my glory days.

Cheeburger is one of two places I know that serves drinks in a mason jar and it is absolutely brilliant. Everyone knows the sweet and sour refreshment of a perfect lemonade on a hot, sweaty day. I order nothing less than the best. A “Semi-Serious” burger for me please, which is half the weight of the conquering beast, the “Famous Pounder.” Medium is the lowest they go on cooking we were told, however Nick initially asking for Medium Rare got just that. Always nice to see people go out of their way for the customer.

Stack em up baby! Bacon, onions, American cheese, pickles, lettuce, and chipotle mayo. My buddy and I were set to order a half basket of fries each as the menu notes a “one person” serving recommendation. However, our lovely waitress said it was big enough to share. After a quick glance of no words, we reluctantly agreed. We weren’t too keen on sharing but she was absolutely right.

Digging into the basket, we could not eat another bite of anything else. Lucky for us, that was great because there was not a single crumb left. Unfortunately, I don’t remember her name, but the recommendation was perfect. The amount of fries in the picture is only maybe a quarter of what was in the basket. I do apologize for the quality of the picture. Please know that is all on my end. I couldn’t wait another second to eat. I pressed down on the burger hard and cut it in half which explains the deformed bun. You can see the juices flowing out of the fresh quality meat. The cheese amount was spot on and oozed to perfection. The chipotle mayo had just the right amount of spice serving the phenomenal purpose of added texture, along with a flavor that combated the amount of beef.

Surprisingly, not an overwhelming mess (which I would have fought through with a smile) yet I was not about to stop the chipotle mayo from dripping on my fries. There were no individual components on this burger as it all came together as one delightful work of art. Cheeburger can expect to see me again real soon. For a casual place, or I should say any place, this has to be the best burger around. Full customization, sides, toppings, a roll of paper towels at the table as to not need a hundred individual napkins, you just can not go wrong with a friendly visit. The staff is overly nice, the food is even better. You will just have to go and see for yourself. For the reasons listed above, Cheeburger Cheeburger is receiving a 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Hunter Dillon is a guest blogger on Eating New Jersey. As a hockey player, he is always on the go, which has served as the inspiration for his “Casual Crusades” column. He has more than four years of restaurant kitchen experience and can cook up the best cheesesteaks outside of Philadelphia.